Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Lower Prices on My E-books!

Just a gentle reminder that my book "Soapmaking Made Simple" is on sale through midnight this coming Sunday. Normally this e-book sells for $20.00 but right now you can download it for just $15.00! Here is the description from my website about what is taught in this book:
This course will teach you how to make soap in your own kitchen! Included are the basics of soap making with easy step-by-step instructions that walk you through the simple art of making your own batch of soap! I also show you what equipment you’ll need and probably already have!

I teach you about SAP values and why they are important, what lye discounts are and why you need to understand them and what “percentages” mean. This combined knowledge not only helps you understand the soap making process but it gives you the skills to evaluate any recipe you find online or in a book so that you can determine if you would like to use it....no need to waste all those ingredients to discover you don’t like that particular recipe. Even more important, it gives you the skills to create your own unique recipes!

After I cover the basics, we delve into the fun! I teach you what superfatting is and how to do it so that you can create that luxurious soap you’ve been dreaming about! You will learn how to color your soap naturally, how to use essential oils and how to create your own blends of essential oils easily and test them inexpensively! I also guide you through the properties and “notes” of essential oils.

You will learn about absolute oils, butters and clays and why and how to use them. I’ll teach you about soap molds and help you find them...in your own home! There are over a dozen “tried and true” recipes for soap including many basic recipes along with recipes for Castile, a shaving soap, a milk soap, and more!

I have included both a “tips” section and a “troubleshooting” section to help you salvage any “mistakes” that might happen, I have shared my list for recommended reading and online sites that teach about soap making so you can continue your adventures. I give you my list of resources for purchasing ingredients and even recommend software for soap makers!

I’ve done all the “wrong” things according to other soap makers! I have shared my secrets, shared many short cuts, given you great recipes, shared my list of resources, essentially shared it all!

Of course, this book comes with 30 days of mentoring by email! Send me as many questions as you want, as often as you like and I will walk with you as you begin your adventure with making soap.

Download your book and let me help you begin your journey in soap making with confidence!

About a month ago, I also lowered the price of my e-book "Basic Medicinal Herbs! How to Grow and Use Herbs for Medicine!" This course had been $25.00 but I felt that was a bit of a stretch in these economic times...I know it would have been for me!  So, the price has been changed to $20.00 at this time.  I don't know how long this new, lower price will be in effect.

Don't forget that each of these books normally comes with 30 days of mentoring but during the Christmas season one of my gifts to you is that the mentoring is extended until the end of February!  This mentoring time is also offered to any of my former students at no charge!

These e-books are a wonderful way to learn some of the lost arts that all women used to enjoy!  They also make wonderful, inexpensive gifts! Won't you join me on my journey to being more self-sufficient?

Blessings!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

The great...ummmm...unveiling...

The boys went to church wearing their winter caps - good thing it was really cold out that morning. The only people who knew were one of our elders and the people who had witnessed the shaving the night before. Nothing appeared amiss.  Jeremy asked our elder for a few minutes before service.

Jeremy, Josiah, Elijah and Evan went up front and asked Todd to join them.

Todd and the boys!

Jeremy began to talk about how much Todd means to them, what a great example of a godly man he has been to these 4 boys.  Then he told Todd that "we did this for you!"

Bald!

For just a second, Todd didn't know what had happened....

Then Jeremy leaned down so that Todd could see his head...Todd was SO surprised!

Wow!

The boys and Todd!

Here are the boys and Todd, his wife Barbara and their new baby Benjamin....please remember to pray for this precious family and Todd's recovery.  Although he is ready for whatever our Father has in store for him...we are selfish people and want to keep him with us and our body is praying for a full recovery!

Todd's family..missing Madison..

On a sillier note...Jeremy, already feeling the effects of frigid air on a bald head, thought he might borrow some hair from a sweet friend who has an abundance of beautiful hair....somehow...I don't think this is the best look for Jeremy!

Jeremy?!

If you would like to see the video of the boys telling Todd that morning, and hearing our church family's reaction, click here then scroll down to the category "Video" on the left. You'll find it...it's at the top of the list.

I'll be taking the next couple of days off to be with my boys - lots of family time, games, laughter and good food are going to be taking place.  I'll be back later this week.

Enjoy these special days with your family and friends!

Merry Christmas!

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!

May you have a blessed day with family and friends today!  May you pause to remember the Christ child who came to a dirty barn so that you could be cleansed, who was born already crucified for your sake so that you may live eternally with Him, who knows your every thought and action and still loves you wildly and exuberantly! Who waits with open arms.....for you! My prayer is that you run into those arms, rest there and allow the Savior to love you and care for you eternally.

A sign shall be given
A virgin will conceive
A human baby bearing
Undiminished deity
The glory of the nations
A light for all to see
Hope for all who will embrace
His warm reality

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

For all those who live in the shadow of death
A glorious light has dawned
For all those who stumble in the darkness
Behold your light has come

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

So what will be your answer?
Will you hear the call?
Of Him who did not spare His son
But gave him for us all
On earth there is no power
There is no depth or height
That could ever separate us
From the love of God in Christ

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

IMMANUEL
Scribbling In The Sand: The Best Of Michael Card (2002)



Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

A rabbit trail....with Straight No Chaser

Just a short rabbit trail before I get back to the story of the boys and Todd.  We recently heard about  this  a cappella group. We have enjoyed their Christmas music. My Dad would have loved them  just because they came from "his" university!  This is one of their sillier numbers but it gave us a great laugh and showed off their talent.....enjoy!



Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

An act of love...

My boys had an idea one night...turns out they were all thinking the same thing.  But then one of them spoke it out loud. Isn't it funny how thoughts, spoken out loud, are much more likely to be put into action?  It births them some how.  This was not an easy thought, sacrificial love was required but they had an abundance of love. Still...especially for teenage boys...this was a difficult decision.

The fact that they couldn't act on it for several weeks gave the enemy plenty of opportunity to place doubt into their minds.  How often does the enemy stop us from doing something we've been prompted to do by our Father?  Nasty little messages are aimed our way.  "Why would you do that?"  "What will people think?"  "It is so cold outside...wait till spring" "People will laugh at you" and perhaps the most fatal of all "No one knows about this - you don't have to go through with this".

But my boys were determined...they believed this was a prompting from their Father and it was further fueled by a great deal of love and respect.  The enemy had no chance.

I know I've mentioned a young family here before and asked for prayer.  Their names are Todd and Barbara and they have a daughter named Madison and a new baby boy named Benjamin. Todd has been fighting cancer for the last year.  A very aggressive and fast moving cancer but by God's grace and mercy he is doing well.  He just finished his third round of chemo.  Todd has been an amazing example to us all of trusting God.  He is honest with his fears and doubts but he consistently chooses to put his trust in our Father.

Todd has been an important role model of a godly man to my boys - he is a young, fun, encouraging, and godly young man. He has handled his adversity with a grace and trust that encourages my own boys in the difficult times they have endured these last two years.  My boys love him to pieces!

Because of the chemo, Todd has lost his hair and my boys, in their desire to show him support and love, decided to give theirs up voluntarily and surprise him!  They decided to do this after the tacky party and to surprise him at church the next morning.  We knew this would be a surprise because Todd and his family were at the tacky party and saw my boys in "full hair".

My oldest boy offered to do the honors of shaving their heads since he has experience in that area.  He buzzed their heads as closely as he could that night and then took a razor to them before church the next morning.  Of course, I took pictures!  Before and after.

Here they are before the buzzing began!

Best friends

Jeremy's thoughts on what is about to happen inspired this reaction!

JeremyWhat have I done!

Elijah was first simply because it was late and I wanted him in bed.

Elijah

The my oldest son decided to be a stinker annoy tease display his artistic side on his younger brothers.

Love!!!

Reverse Mohawk?

Peace?

We had photographers....

The audience

And an audience....

The audience

Josh did a bit of a stand-up comedy routine while buzzing heads and kept us all laughing with his marvelous sense of humor! Perhaps we should have sold tickets....

Then a friend of the boys decided to join in the fun!

Evan

The finished product that night!

It's gonna be so cold!

Still one more step to go after this - shaving in the morning! The boys had to get up really early to get chores done before the shaving began.  Josh figured he'd need about 30 min. per head.

The boys said this felt SO weird!

Jeremy!

Josiah!

Elijah!

Here are my four bald boys!

My four sons!

So what happened at church and what did Todd think?

Join me next time!

Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Annual Tacky Party

This holiday tradition is a favorite with my boys.  Lots of good food, lots of fun, games, laughter and fellowship all with people we dearly love.  Yes, we know all of these strange people and love everyone of them.....strange as they may seem to be!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words....

Love this girl!

I saw this young lady's eyelashes from my bedroom window as she got out of her car!

What a couple!

Hhhmmm....

One of my favorite people!

Wish this picture had turned out better!

Very gallant!

A beautiful Christmas tree!

This costume was beautiful - lights even!  (When she was plugged in!) It was such a creative costume that she has inspired a new category for prizes - The Annual A.W. Award for Most Creative Costume!  What an awesome Christmas tree this beautiful young lady made!

Let the games begin!

The Man In Charge?

I know that boy!

And lastly....these people....weren't they a famous singing group?

Yes, I love these people!

Now, here's the REAL story...when most of the people had left for home...my boys shared a BIG secret with the remaining few.  They wanted to stay, take pictures of what was about to happen...and so they did....and I'll share them with you!

You won't believe what my boys have done now!  Join me next time and I'll reveal ALL - with pictures to prove it!

Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 14, 2009

My Christmas Gift to You!

You, my wonderful readers, bless me all year long with orders, kind comments, prayer and encouraging notes that fill my in box and my mail box. I would like to bless ya'll this Christmas with a little present! I hope this gift will bless you and your family now and for many years to come!

I am putting my Soapmaking Made Simple Course on sale for $15.00 between now and midnight December 31! This is the first time this course has been on sale.  If you take Soapmaking Made Simple with me here on the farm  this course would be $40.00! Normally, it is $20.00 on my website.  Here is a description of what is included in this e-book:

This course will teach you how to make soap in your own kitchen! Included are the basics of soap making with easy step-by-step instructions that walk you through the simple art of  making your own batch of soap! I also show you what equipment you’ll need and probably already have!

I teach you about SAP values and why they are important, what lye discounts are and why you need to understand them and what “percentages” mean.  This combined knowledge not only helps you understand the soap making process but it gives you the skills to evaluate any recipe you find online or in a book so that you can determine if you would like to use it....no need to waste all those ingredients to discover you don’t like that particular recipe. Even more important, it gives you the skills to create your own unique recipes!

After I cover the basics, we delve into the fun! I teach you what superfatting is and how to do it so that you can create that luxurious soap you’ve been dreaming about!  You will learn how to color your soap naturally, how to use essential oils and how to create your own blends of essential oils easily and test them inexpensively! I also guide you through the properties and “notes” of essential oils.

You will learn about absolute oils, butters and clays and why and how to use them. I’ll teach you about soap molds and help you find them...in your own home!  There are over a dozen “tried and true” recipes for soap including many basic recipes along with recipes for Castile, a shaving soap, a milk soap, and more!

I have included both a “tips” section and a “troubleshooting” section to help you salvage any “mistakes” that might happen, I have shared my list for recommended reading and online sites that teach about soap making so you can continue your adventures.  I give you my list of resources for purchasing ingredients and even recommend software for soap makers!

I’ve done all the “wrong” things according to other soap makers! I have shared my secrets, shared many short cuts, given you great recipes, shared my list of resources, essentially shared it all!


Perhaps this would make a wonderful Christmas gift for you or for someone you love.

Also, anyone who purchases my Soapmaking Made Simple Course between now and the end of the year will receive an extension on the email mentoring portion of the course. Instead of 30 days from the date of purchase….you will receive….(can we say “ta daaahh!” ?) free mentoring until the end of February!! You can wait till after the holidays to begin your study and still have an extra 60 days instead of 30!

I will also offer this extension for anyone who has ever purchased this course…so, my previous, faithful students….grab your notes and questions and give it all you’ve got until the end of February!!

If you’ve taken the course and would like to share your experience, please leave us a comment!

Merry Christmas!



P.S. Stay tuned next time for pictures from our annual tacky party!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Tradition of the Straws

*NOTE*  This is a post that appears here each Christmas Season. We have begun our Tradition of the Straws this year...may we humbly invite you to join us?  My prayer is that it will bless your family as much as it has mine.


Each year I purchase a Christ-centered Christmas book to add to our collection.  Beginning with the evening we finish decorating for Christmas (usually right after Thanksgiving), I read a Christmas book out loud to the boys after dinner. I do this every night through the Christmas season.  Many years ago I found a little book called The Last Straw by Paula Palangi.  I believe it is out of print now which is a shame.  Although there were aspects of the story that I was not pleased with,  (I edited it as I read aloud) this book has impacted my family more than any other Christmas book.  This book introduced us to the Tradition of the Straws.  This is far and away my boys most favorite Christmas tradition!

You do not need the book to add this to your celebration of Christmas...let me share with you what it is all about....you will need a tray, some straw, a manger and a baby.  This is the concept....Jesus is coming! We must prepare a place for him and we will do that by loving and serving others for His sake. It is an act of worship.

Beginning the fist night, the names of all the family members are written on scraps of paper and placed in a bowl.  Each person draws a name, checking to make sure they have not drawn their own. This name must be kept secret! The goal for the next week is to secretly do acts of loving kindness for that person without getting caught.  For each secret act of love, you may place a straw in the manger.  The idea is to build a soft and comfortable bed made from acts of love for the Christ child who will arrive on Christmas Eve.

.

This is a picture of our manger.  Josiah made it several years ago.  The book actually came with a heavy cardboard manger in the back to punch out and put together but after many years, no amount of tape could hold it together.  So, Josiah blessed us with this wooden one and I will always treasure it!



As you can see we have been busy filling the manger this season.  Each week, the names go back in the bowl and everyone draws again.  Parents will need to help younger ones with ideas and sometimes with practical help.  I have kept many a boy busy so his brother didn't get "caught in the act". And often you will have to turn a blind eye so a little one can bless you with an act of love!

Because we do not have network T.V., cable or satellite, and we aren’t in the stores a lot, (and I throw all of those gift catalogs in the trash as soon as they arrive) my children are not exposed to all the brainwashing that goes on trying to sell them the latest useless toy. But their focus still tended to be on “what will I get” instead of “what can I give”. The manger certainly helped to realign their priorities. Bickering seemed to take a back seat to loving kindness - everyone was thinking of the Christ child and how they could serve Him through kindness to others.

It is amazing how this simple tradition changed our focus and the atmosphere in our home. Sometimes a child will find their bed made, their chores done or their laundry folded. I have found dishwashers emptied, or filled, clothes folded, my bed turned down with a cookie left on the pillow, a wildflower in a vase on the kitchen windowsill,  animals cared for and the list goes on. Arguments stop before they really start and everyone seems to be thinking of others first.

Secret acts done for neighbors, church members and others outside our family circle earn fatter straws, or multiple straws. Hands are constantly testing the manger - is it soft enough for Jesus? On Christmas Eve day the pace for loving acts really picks up….who will place the last straw?

On Christmas Eve, when the boys determine that the bed is ready, they must search for the baby, just as the Wise Men searched for the Christ child.  Whoever finds Him gets to place Him lovingly in the manger that was filled with hundreds of straws, each one representing an act of love to others.



My prayer for you this season is that you too would search for and find the Christ child who was born crucified for you.

Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Preparing our hearts

As wonderful as it is to prepare our homes, it is so much more important to prepare our hearts for this season by focusing on the reason we pause...celebrate....remember....the Christ child. This King of Kings and Lord of Lords arrived not as we believe a King should arrive, with pomp and splendor...but arrived in a dirty, smelly barn.

We have two barns, we know barns..., animals are born in our barns and die in our barns, we pitch hay in our barns, we house animals in our barns (chickens, cows, horses, goats) and, consequently, we muck our barns.  It is no place I'd want to birth a baby or receive a King yet He humbled himself, took on our sins, came here knowing he'd die, knowing He'd be separated from Yahweh for the first time EVER....for our sakes.  Born crucified, born to die...so I could live eternally with Him.  Unfathomable love!

During this season we have several traditions that help us prepare our hearts to receive our King.  They are small things but they mean so much to my boys.

He is the bringer of Light

Jesus is the Light, the bringer of Light and Truth to this world of darkness.

We light...that we might also remember him and seek the Light and Truth that He offers His children.

Light filled urn!

Nativity Candle

We listen...so we can hear Him who speaks to us.

We spend time each evening, reading aloud His truth, His word and books about Him.  For many years, I added a new book purchased after Christmas for the next year.  I don't have that luxury now but our basket is full.

Basket filled with Truth Friends

Old books, new books, collections of stories and poems that reflect Him....reflect His truth.  Many make me cry...something that touches my boys...in fact they will search the pile and hand me the tissues and book at the same time!  Truthfully, I often see a tear on their cheeks as well.

We slow with the lights of the season. We spend evenings enjoying each other, playing games, talking and sharing, using only the lights that Christmas brings....

Christmas lights

We quiet to the sounds of Christmas - we find it soothing to our hearts. Many of our "Christmas Carols" are really hymns filled with His truth.  We have collected some wonderful songs over the years - hymns, traditional Christmas songs,              a cappella songs, instrumental songs....we listen, we remember, we reflect.  The music plays daily and our hearts are glad.

We love others with our most treasured tradition...the Tradition of the Straws.

Waiting to be filled

Jesus is coming! We must prepare a place for him and we will do that by loving and serving others for His sake.  It is an act of worship.  We will build a soft and comfortable bed made from acts of love for the Christ child who will arrive on Christmas Eve.

This tradition has done more to prepare our hearts than any other.  Won't you think about joining us this year? Next time I will share how you can begin the Tradition of the Straws in your home.

Merry Christmas,

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